Georgia-listed varieties
UGA lists Detroit Dark Red, Red Ace and Ruby Queen as proven home-garden choices. Gardeners can also experiment with differently colored and striped beets.
Georgia cool-season root crop guide
Growing Beets in Georgia
Beets give Georgia gardeners two harvests from one cool-season crop: the swollen root and the edible leaves. They grow quickly enough for spring and fall gardens and are especially useful where gardeners want maximum food value from a small bed.
A fast spring-and-fall crop
Georgia Beet Quick Facts
Planting windows
About Feb. 15–Apr. 1 and Aug. 1–Sept. 20.
Maturity
About 55–65 days.
Sowing
About ½ inch deep, then thin to roughly 2 inches.
Two harvests
Grow tender roots and edible beet greens.
Statewide planting guidance
When to Plant Beets in Georgia
UGA's statewide chart lists Feb. 15–Apr. 1 for spring and Aug. 1–Sept. 20 for fall.
Beets are one of the vegetables UGA recommends planting well ahead of the frost-free date, which makes them useful before warm-season crops take over the garden.
These are statewide planning dates, not three separate North, Middle and South Georgia planting windows.
Start with proven choices and expect to thin
Varieties and Beet Seed Clusters
Why several seedlings emerge
What looks like a single beet seed is commonly a clustered fruit containing more than one seed. Several seedlings together are normal, so thinning is part of beet culture.
Make room for roots to enlarge
How to Grow Beets
Direct sow
Sow about ½ inch deep in a well-prepared bed.
Thin seedlings
Remove crowding so roots have room to enlarge.
Loose soil
Use well-drained soil and remove major stones or hard clods.
Steady moisture
Keep the seedbed evenly moist, then mulch to limit weeds and moisture swings.
Use a Georgia soil test to guide fertility and lime rather than guessing.
Use the edible tops carefully
Don't Throw Away the Beet Greens
Beet tops are edible leafy greens as well as the plant's root-building engine.
Harvesting a small number of outer leaves adds another use for the crop, but do not strip young plants heavily if your main goal is a large root.
Fit a short crop into the rotation
Georgia Companion Gardening with Beets
Use beets as a cool-season piece of a larger rotation. Their relatively short 55–65 day maturity makes them useful before or after warm-season vegetables.
Plan companions around light, water and spacing, and rotate crop families to reduce recurring pest and disease pressure.
Scout leaves and the root zone
Common Beet Problems in Georgia
Foliage pressure
Flea beetles, aphids and other leaf-feeding insects can reduce the foliage that supports root growth.
Root-zone problems
Root problems are often connected to soil conditions or pests below ground. Scout regularly, rotate crops and protect young plants where pressure is predictable.
Correct identification should come before any pesticide treatment.
Pull roots while they are tender
When to Harvest Beets
UGA's chart places maturity around 55–65 days. Roots can be harvested at different sizes depending on how you plan to use them. Pull while roots are still tender rather than leaving every beet in the ground simply because it can get larger.
Grow → Harvest → Cook: Put the roots and greens to work in the protected recipes below, then browse the complete Georgia Garden Recipe Finder.
From Georgia beets to the kitchen
Beet Recipes
Roasted Balsamic Beets
Roasted beets finished with balsamic vinegar for a sweet, earthy and tangy side.
Ingredients
- 3 large beets, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss beets with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Roast in the oven at 400°F (200°C) until tender.
- Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
Tender beets, creamy goat cheese and toasted walnuts layered over greens with balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets, cooked and diced
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
- Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- Combine beets, salad greens, goat cheese, and walnuts in a bowl.
- Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, toss gently, and serve.
Small-Batch Pickled Beets
Tender garden beet wedges soak in a tangy apple-cider brine with red onion, mustard seed and peppercorns.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds medium beets, scrubbed
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the beets in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until a knife slides into the centers easily.
- Drain the beets. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut the beets into 1/2-inch wedges.
- Divide the beet wedges and red onion between two clean pint jars or nonreactive covered containers.
- Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, mustard seeds and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Pour the hot brine over the beets, leaving the pieces submerged. Cool uncovered to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.
Garden note: These are refrigerator pickles, not a shelf-stable canning recipe. Keep refrigerated and use within three weeks.
Continue your Georgia cool-season garden
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